Many structures incorporate a distributed network of sensors in order to successfully fulfill their function. For example, structural health monitoring (SHM) systems may use sensors distributed about a structure. SHM systems can provide the ability to detect and interpret adverse “changes” in a structure to reduce life-cycle costs and to improve reliability. SHM systems may utilize non-invasive detection sensors that are integrated into a structure to continuously monitor components for damage, such as cracks or de-lamination.
Implementing SHM can improve asset reliability, safety and readiness while reducing life-cycle costs. However, these improvements can come at the expense of weight, power consumption and computational bandwidth. For example, an SHM system may utilize various sensors (such as strain gauges, thermocouples and optical fibers) permanently mounted in regions of interest. The number and location of these sensors may be limited due to required infrastructure. The SHM system may have one or more analog cables (e.g., coaxial cables) from each sensing element (or sensor node) to a remote hardware location. These cables can be long, introducing electromagnetic interference (EMI) susceptibility and signal attenuation due to stray capacitance. Infrastructure of the SHM system, such as the cables, can add significant weight (e.g., more than about 6 kg/m^2 including connectors), and installation can be labor intensive. Furthermore, the cables and connectors introduce several failure points, as both the cables and the connectors are susceptible to environmental and mechanical durability issues. Traditional data acquisition units also can be bulky and expensive as hardware components are added to accommodate the sensors. These concerns may be further exacerbated when the SHM system is operated in a harsh environment, such as extreme temperatures, shock, vibration and g-loading.